What To Do
by Dragonfaerie2
Summary: My own little version of Season 3. Set after FN, of course. Alec/Original Character for now, M/A in the end.
1. Default Chapter

After Freak Nation....  
  
Disclaimer: If I owned Dark angel, what would be the chances of me canceling it?  
  
  
  
* Max and the rest of the transgenic watched quietly as Joshua's flag was raised. *  
  
  
  
Max sat atop the roof of some odd building in Terminal City. Normally, she would have gone to the Space Needle, but that was off limits, seeing as some cop who wanted them all dead guarded every entrance and exit to TC. She sighed as she reviewed her life during the past year or so, from when Logan first collapsed from the virus, to watching as Biggs was hung upside down by the ankles, guilty of something that wasn't his fault.  
  
"Hey, Max" The voice interrupted her steady stream of sad thoughts. She turned around and saw Alec standing behind her, hands in his pockets.  
  
"Figured I find you here," He continued, siting down next to her. She wasn't in any mood for conversation. "What do you want?"  
  
"Looking for you. OC and Logan and the rest of the ordinaries can't stay forever you know, they aren't immune to all the nasty stuff in this place."  
  
"Yeah, but the cops know that they are our friends. You know what they'll do to them?"  
  
"Yeah," Alec replied softly, "but they are going to get very sick if they don't leave soon." A look of pain and hurt crossed Max's face, as she thought of Sketchy, OC, or Logan getting sick, diseased, or maybe even die. But what could she possibly do? By now, half the world knew their faces; they couldn't go anywhere without being recognized as a traitor. And Logan, after all he'd done for her, saving her life with that exoskeleton of his, which he didn't even need, thanks to blood Joshua gave him.  
  
"Blood transfusion!" Max yelled suddenly, startling Alec so that he toppled over and nearly fell off the rooftop. He caught himself and sat back down next to Max.  
  
"What?" He asked, confused.  
  
"Blood transfusion! Antibodies! We could give blood to them! We're immune, aren't we? So they will be too if they have our blood, right?" Alec looked doubtful.  
  
"Right?" Max tried again with more force, just to prove her point. Alec shrugged. "Worth a try, but you have to promise me, if they show signs of getting sick, you have to get them out of here" Max nodded. Doing the right thing, no matter how hard, always came first when it came to OC, Sketchy and Logan, who stuck by her, through thick and thin. "Come on, lets not let them get any worse!" She said. Alec gave her a half smirk and followed her back into the building.  
  
  
  
Bullet and Ralph, and the rest of the group of Transgenic X6's, whom Max had rescued from White just over a year ago, stood crowded around the tiny TV they had managed to steal from some old electronics shop, watching the news broadcast that all important story about the siege at TC. They had a comfortable life in Canada, mostly stealing what they needed, but getting by fine nonetheless. They knew Max was in trouble, but they were unsure, whether to go and help her, or stay put. Zero made up his mind for them.  
  
"Let's go," he said firmly, "we have to go help her." The others looked at him still torn two ways.  
  
"She would have done the same for us, hell, she DID rescue us, and got herself caught, got us out of there, and nobody has suspected us yet of being.you know, what we are." Fix-it nodded. "Lets go." That was all the encouragement the rest of the group needed. They packed a little bit of food to last the a few days on the road, and started their long drive back up to Seattle.  
  
"There. Finished." Max said as she removed the makeshift IV from Alec, and Logan pulled his out. "It should last for a week or two, but if any of you get sick," She now addressed all ordinaries in the room who had a blood transfusion by some odd transgenic, "you are to let me know immediately so we can get you out of here before it gets any worse. Understand?" They all nodded or grunted their 'yes' before leaving the room, apart from Logan. Alec lingered for a moment, before filing out with the transgenics, leaving Max and Logan alone in the room.  
  
"So how are you?" Logan asked, breaking the uncomfortable silence between the two.  
  
"Fine." Max replied. "And you?"  
  
"Could been better, my legs are sore, just not used to that big jump I made onto that car a couple of days ago."  
  
"Logan, about that.Thanks." Max smiled at him, and tried hard not to break down and cry. Lying to him about her and Alec was so hard, but it was for the best. She gave a forced smile before walking quietly out of the room.  
  
"Max!" Alec called. Max turned around slowly, wiping away the tears that had formed on her face before walking over to him.  
  
"You better come and see this," He muttered, pointing in the direction of the main building.  
  
**  
  
"Only one hour ago, a group of 5 transgenics were caught by police as they were trying to get into Seattle. Our video crew managed to get a shot of their faces before they were sent to a secure facility just outside the city."  
  
"Zero," Max whispered, as she recognized the face of the X6 she'd rescued. Alec's unit. It took her exactly 1.3 seconds to make up her mind. She-and a bunch of X- series, were going to locate where they were being held, and rescue them.  
  
"Help me find some volunteers to rescue them." She told Alec, who was standing directly behind her.  
  
"I'm going in."  
  
"Me too." Alec replied. Max looked at him doubtfully.  
  
"Are you sure, I mean, you want to?" "Max, they were my unit. They were my responsibility. I'm coming."  
  
Max laughed lightly. "I thought you didn't care about them. Isn't that what you said?"  
  
Alec turned to glare at her. "I'm coming." He answered, before going to find more volunteers.  
  
"Alright, listen up. 5 of your brothers and sisters have been caught on their way here to help us. They have been caught, and we are going to rescue them. Logan got me the address, and they are being held just outside the city, but in an ordinary jail, with twice the usual number of armed guards."  
  
She spread out some blueprints of the jail. "You, and you-'' she pointed to a pair of X6's go in through here, and stop the guards quickly and quietly.. You two." Alec listened quietly to Max and her plan. His unit.. How had they been caught? Didn't Manticore teach them to be forever on their guard? Hadn't he?  
  
* Flashback *  
  
"You're really leaving?" Max asked angrily  
  
"Fraid so." Alec replied, doing up his jacket.  
  
"Figures you'd forget the one good thing Manticore taught us- never abandon your unit." Max shot back. Alec's eyes strayed back to the people behind her, his 'unit' ' Unit?' he thought 'I warned them about how they were going to kill us, but did they listen? No.' He watched as Ralph stared at him, a mixture of sadness and betrayal showing through her eyes as her Commanding Officer gave up on her unit, to take care of himself.  
  
* Flashback *  
  
Alec would never forget that look, and how he had still been confused about Manticore gone, upset. He had let his emotions get the best of him, and betrayed them. He wouldn't let that happen again, no matter what. "Now, Alec and I will be waiting for you at the door here." Max continued.  
  
  
  
The guards outside the jail where the transgenics were being held never noticed the group of six creep behind him, until he was knocked unconscious by Max's fist. The, her and the rest of the group separated in twos. Her and Alec crept slowly up the stairs, and onto the first floor, where the captives were being housed. The guard was asleep. Alec gave a slight snort. "Armed guards? Right,"  
  
"Shutup." Max whispered. "Zero!" Zeros head turned in the direction of the voice. He was overjoyed to see Max, even in such a tense situation. He went to wake the rest of the group up.  
  
"You okay?" Max asked concerned. Zero nodded. "They were too scared to touch us." He looked over at Alec. "Good to see you, sir." Alec grinned. "Same to you."  
  
They were all too involved with their happy little reunion to notice the cop creep over to them until the guard pointed his rifle at the back of Alec's neck. "Nobody move!" He shouted.  
  
A/N: REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW! (please?) 


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: I'll post every three days, since school over here in Hong Kong is pretty loose with the homework..  
  
Disclaimer: I own dark angel, dark angel is mine.I said, wishing upon a star.  
  
**  
  
.They were all too involved with their happy little reunion to notice the cop creep over to them until the guard pointed his rifle at the back of Alec's neck. "Nobody move!" He shouted..  
  
**  
  
Max turned around, shock and surprise registered on her genetically engineered face. Before the guard had any time to react, she had moved behind him, and put him into a headlock. Alec whipped around and knocked the poor guard out in a single blow to the temple. As he sank to the floor, Alec grabbed the ring of keys that hung around his waist. He then proceeded to let Buglar, Zero, Ralph, Fixit, and Bullet out, while Max went around the corner to make sure it was all clear.  
  
"Let's go," She whispered, making sure that the guards were still knocked out. They were. She lightly stepped over them, and made her way back down the stairs where she had come.  
  
** "Thanks again for saving our butts," Zero said for the fifth time tonight.  
  
"No, problem." Max replied lightly. "Its makes a nice change to save somebody ELSE'S ass every once and a while." She stared pointedly at Alec, who looked away with a slight smile, suddenly very interested in the cockroach that was crawling above their heads on the ceiling.  
  
"Well, if there is anything we can do."Ralph offered. The rest of the group nodded their agreement.  
  
Max smiled. "You guys traveled through the country because your family was in trouble. That's the best thing you could ever do for all of us." She gave an extra smile to Buglar as she walked out of the room, to run her thoughts over the next bunch of problems.  
  
**  
  
"Logan!"  
  
Logan looked up from the laptop he had managed to salvage from the old buildings here and there. Max stood in the doorway.  
  
"What's up?" He asked happily, glad for any reason to see her.  
  
"Can you see if you can find something for me?"  
  
"Yeah sure, but just remember that I don't have all the stuff I used to-" Logan replied, turning his attention back onto the computer.  
  
"I know, but see if you can find the sewer maps to this place. I need a way out. The transgenics need food."  
  
Logan nodded. "Well, I see what I can find, and page you later." "Thanks." Max replied quietly. The pain in her heart-made her want to die right there and then. She often wondered how she'd managed to keep the secret from him this long, but then she remembered. To protect him. So he wouldn't die. It was that simple. She walked quietly away, not noticing how Logan was shaking lightly with sobs and hurt.  
  
Max walked along the edge of the perimeter of TC, but still careful to stay out of sight of the angry citizens of Seattle. She checked every single part of the fencing around the place, but the chain of guards and snipers was unbroken. She watched quietly as anti-transgenic slogans were still being shouted at anyone who cared enough to listen.  
  
"Max,"  
  
Max jumped lightly. She hadn't heard anyone coming. "Alec, don't every do that again."  
  
Alec held his hands up defensively. "Just seeing if you needed any help, Max. And I brought along a few friends, 'cause it seems to me your looking for a way out."  
  
Max looked over Alec's shoulder to see Bullet, Zero, Ralph and Fixit creep up behind him. She smiled her hello.  
  
"Not really looking for a way out to use now.. Just waiting for Logan to hit me back."  
  
"Oh?" Alec asked, his voice going ever so slightly cold.  
  
Max didn't notice. "Yeah, asked him to find us a way out, you know, so we can EAT."  
  
The pager that hung from Max's waist bleeped. "Logan," she said in answer to Alec's quizzical look. She smiled to the other Xs that were crouched behind him. "Ready for another mission?" she asked.  
  
**  
  
.. "and here's the entrance." Logan said, pointing to a sewer grate that was green from the grime and organic matter. Max tried her best not to throw up as the strong smell of sewer met her extra sensitive nostrils. Ralph backed away in disgust, before recollecting herself and moving forward. Max sighed, took a deep breath, and dropped into the sewer. "Ugh," she said to herself, moving out of the way as the rest of the X's dropped in. Zero dropped in last, holding a blueprint of the sewers.  
  
They followed the map for exactly 20 minutes, traveling through muck and grime and the occasional 'flushed toilet' matter, before they -finally- reached the opening. One by one, they each climbed through it, once again taking in the fresh air, and enjoying their change of scenery, from old, crumbling buildings to the fresh new woodland. The birds chirped and a stream gargled nearby. She smiled at Alec, who had a little boy's grin pasted to his face. Then she remembered their mission.  
  
"Come on, lets go see if there is anything we can get for TC." She whispered.  
  
**  
  
The plan was indeed going perfectly. Less than 40 minutes and they had already found a perfect target for acquiring a few bites for dinner.a food processing plant. Max crouched behind the bushes as she processed the details of the plant, from what time the delivery trucks left the area to deliver the food to how many guards were on duty.  
  
Bullet crept quietly behind the delivery truck, which had just been stocked full of food and getting ready to make its rounds to the local supermarket. He watched as Ralph and Max headed over to the first guard, Max knocking him out with a single punch, and Ralph tying him up with a length of cord she had found. His eyes darted over to the other side of the fenced in area, where Alec and bullet had just managed to subdue one of the drivers, and were preparing to leave. In the next 2 minutes, every single driver and guard went down, one by one. Bullet gave the signal - a short and high pitched whistle to show it was all clear, before each of the transgenics separated to take one delivery truck each.  
  
They had been driving under the night sky for around 15 minutes before Max started wondering how in the world she was supposed to get the food back to TC. They couldn't drive right through fence - there were too many snipers around the perimeter of the place. The only way, was to go back through the sewer, and take the food through there. It was a sick idea, but the only possible way. She hurriedly signaled to the others what they were going to do.  
  
Zero climbed out of his truck to meet the others. They had stolen 7 trucks in total, and each was full of food. How 7 transgenics were going to take all of that back through the sewer in less than 4 hours was beyond him, unless of course they enlisted help. That, however, was something he would leave to Max to decide. He owed Max a lot, for first rescuing him the first time, and then just two days ago, and would do just about anything for her.  
  
"I've just paged Mole, and he agreed to round up volunteers to help us with the food. So for now, just be on you constant alert, I'm going back in to lead them out to this opening." Max said decisively, and without a word, headed back into the dark depths of the sewer.  
  
Zero stared quietly into the woods, waiting for Max to come back up with a team of volunteers to help with the food. He was at least glad that he'd managed to help keep Max's promise of seeing them again. He had spent many days in a week wishing he might see her again, maybe to thank her for saving his life, and for saving the lives of his family.  
  
Footsteps behind him told him that Max was on her way back. He signaled to Alec to let him know, and Alec began to unload the food so that the team could just take it and go.  
  
**  
  
Alec grinned as Max walked into Terminal City's own HQ. He had yet to thank her about organizing the food collection so well. But then he noticed Logan also making his way to Max and stopped. But something was wrong. Logan suddenly clutched his chest, then fell backwards on the floor. He began to shake. Seizures. What was happening?  
  
**  
  
Fixit laughed as Original Cindy recounted tale after tale of funny stories about Max, Alec and her, and sometimes, the occasional slightly less funny story, at which Fixit would adopt a sympathetic look. . "Free beer. Just flat out - " O.C stopped talking. Something hurt. Suddenly, a sharp pain erupted in her chest. She doubled over in pain, before a wave of uncontrollable shaking took over that.. "Cindy! Cindy?" Fixit cried. To poor Cindy, lying on the floor, the voices seemed far away.. things began to fade.. Cindy's head dropped to the floor as her world went black.  
  
A/N: I just fixed the setting that didn't allow anonymous reviews, so please continue. Constructive criticism, but please let me know if it sucks, because I really think so. Any ideas for the next chapter? 


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Lack of reviews means lack of chapters. Could someone remind me WHY they got rid of the show?  
  
Disclaimer: Does anyone ever read these?  
  
**  
  
To poor Cindy, lying on the floor, the voices seemed far away.. things began to fade.. Cindy's head dropped to the floor as her world went black.  
  
**  
  
Max watched in horror as Logan doubled over. How she longed to hold him, make sure everything was okay. freakin' virus. She could only stand there as the medics took him away. She sensed someone was coming up behind her, but in her current state, she didn't care who the hell it was. "You okay?" That someone asked. Max jumped. Alec. "How many times have I told you not to do that?" She hissed angrily. Alec never got to answer, as his phone began to ring.  
  
"Yup?" He answered. A pause. Alec's eyes widened for a moment. "You're kidding."  
  
"What is it?" Max asked. "Logan?"  
  
"We'll be right there." Alec said, before putting the phone back into his pocket. He turned back to Max. "Hospital building. Let's go" He said simply before turning away.  
  
**  
  
"Oh, god," Max whispered as she saw Logan lying in the bed, but in the next bed, was.  
  
"Cindy," Max said, before rushing over to her bedside. Cindy's face, once full of life and spirit, was now empty, emotionless. Even the smirk that Cindy usually wore in her sleep was gone. Max worked hard to control her tears. A few leaked out as she lightly touched Cindy's hand.  
  
She felt another hand on her shoulder. A medical transgenic. Max stood up to face him.  
  
"Whats happening?" She asked quietly.  
  
The doctor sighed before replying. "The toxins. In the air. They are getting the ordinaries sick. Manticore made US immune, but there is nothing we can do for them. They have to get out of here."  
  
"The transfusion?"  
  
"Worked for a little while - that's why they lasted this many days without showing and signs of illness."  
  
Max nodded. She really hated doing the right thing sometimes.  
  
"The blood transfusion will probably work again, but after that, it would be dangerous. If you give blood now, then you will only have a couple of days to get them out of this environment." The doctor continued.  
  
Max lifted up her shirt sleeve to show that she was ready.  
  
**  
  
Cindy woke up to Max's face staring down at her. "Hey, boo. How's my girl?"  
  
Max smiled. "shouldn't I be asking you that?" she asked.  
  
Cindy looked around. "Who? Me? I was just wakin up from one helluva nap." She tried getting up. Another sharp pain reminded her of what had happened. "Oof!" she grunted as she fell back onto the bed  
  
"Easy!" Max cried. Look. We gotta get you out of Terminal City."  
  
OC looked shocked. "Why? I can't leave, Boo."  
  
Max shook her head. "You not going to last. I'm sorry."  
  
A beeping sound drew Max's attention to her pager. "Logan." She explained. "I gotta bounce." OC nodded.  
  
**  
  
"Logan." Max called. Logan was still in bed and recovering from his encounter with death - but it hadn't stopped him from using his laptop to help Max find some stuff on how to get out of the place, and where they might lie low for a while. "Hey." He said, looking up from his computer. Max gave an unsure half-smile. Things had gotten more and more awkward between the two of them. "So.you have some information for me?"  
  
"Yeah. Just beyond the Canadian Border. There's a place, outskirts of a tiny little town. They haven't got much money, so police coverage there is terrible. Perfect place for them to lie low."  
  
Max nodded. "We'll leave tomorrow." She paused. "Are you okay."  
  
Logan smiled. It was nice to know that he still had SOME place in her heart. "Yea. I'm fine. Are. Cindy and the rest of them?"  
  
"They're fine."  
  
**  
  
Alec made his way through the crowds, all of them dancing and basically enjoying themselves. It was the night before the ordinaries would start on their journey to Canada; a farewell party with every single transgenic in TC invited. A time to just unwind for one night.  
  
He grinned at a group of female X5's, while he gave every single one a once over. Four of the girls grinned back, and gave their seductive smiles. The last one - the one which Alec was most interested in, rolled her eyes and turned away.  
  
Alec stopped in shock. It was the first time that his smile hadn't made a girl faint, apart from Max, that is. Was his smile failing? He had to see. He walked slowly to the girl. "Alec." He said, introducing himself.  
  
"Clarissa," She replied, in an annoyed tone. "I know what you are."  
  
"Well, doesn't everyone?"  
  
"No, not that. You've had practice."  
  
"At what?"  
  
"You have a reputation, you know."  
  
"Really? Is that so? What kind of reputation?"  
  
"That you're a player. That you use girls for one night stands. That you once tried to kill a fellow transgenic to save your own skin." Clarissa spat out that last sentence. She had grown up knowing teamwork, and that others were a lot more important than yourself. Alec went against just about everything in her rulebook.  
  
Alec smiled again. "Want to go for a drink?"  
  
Clarissa looked him in the eye for a few seconds. She opened her mouth to say something, decided against it, and shrugged. "Fine." She said. Still not losing her stern and angry look. She stalked off in the direction of the bar. Alec smiled and followed her. This would be his greatest challenge yet - getting her to like him, but it would prove that he had women wrapped around his little finger.  
  
"Thanks again." Clarissa said. Alec grinned. In 10 minutes, the two of them had down 3 bottles of whiskey and 1 pitcher of beer - and TC was not exactly rolling in the stuff. He had found that Clarissa was in fact quite a nice person- and cared more for others than herself, a quality Alec was seriously lacking of.  
  
"Come." Alec said, leaving the table and grabbing her wrist. He pulled her along.  
  
"Where are you taking me?" She asked. Alec said nothing, only led her up a small flight of stairs. He stepped onto His and Max's makeshift Space Needle.  
  
"Wow." Clarissa breathed. The lights in the place made it look just like the stars above. It was beautiful. Somehow, - maybe it was the way she carried herself, she reminded Alec of Rachel. A solitary tear rolled down Alec's face as he remembered her. He wiped it away as fast as he could, but not before Clarissa noticed it.  
  
"What's wrong?" she asked, concerned. "Are you okay?"  
  
Alec swallowed. He had never talked to Max about this, not anyone, but the time seemed to be right. Right for him to finally tell Rachel's story.  
  
"Have you ever loved someone?" he asked finally. Clarissa turned sharply to look at him. Of all the questions he'd ask...  
  
"Yeah." She said quietly. "Manticore mission.."  
  
A/N: Coming up next-  
  
Clarissa screamed as Blake fell over. She had just poisoned him..  
  
Clarissa's story and how is Max going to get OC, Logan and Sketchy out of TC? Will she be able to part with Logan once and for all?  
  
P.S= review and all that. I haven't had a single review telling me it sucks. But I think out of all my relatively low-standard stories, this on takes the cake. If you want more - let me know. If you don't want more, let me know. 


	4. Clarissa's Story

A/N: Hey thanks ppl for the great Reviews. Expect more postings since I have been recently grounded.( Do you think this story deserves a Genre? Or just leave it at General?  
  
Disclaimer: Mine! All mine..Maybe for a birthday present.  
  
Following chapter takes place a year ago, and Clarissa is still in Manticore.  
  
~ ~ ~ ~  
  
Clarissa looked at her maids uniform in disgust. She hated aprons, but the mission called for it. Her cover? A laundry maid. Her mission? Surveillance on one of the richest guys in Seattle, also Manticore's main line of funding. To make sure that he didn't stick his nose where it didn't belong.  
  
"Were here." The taxi driver announced, stopping just in front of the large gates that announced the front of the Coronale Estate.  
  
"Thank you," Clarissa said, smiling. She paid the driver and got out. The large gate swung open automatically, and Clarissa noticed the large amount of cameras placed here and there. She stepped onto the brick path that led to the front door, and walked slowly towards it, her eyes darting around, admiring the rose bushes, apple trees, and lush green grass.  
  
The door opened as she reached it. In the doorway stood a girl about eighteen, which was Clarissa's age. The girl had long flowing blond hair, and sky-blue eyes that shone brightly as the light reflected off them. She would have been very beautiful if the girl didn't wear the frown that showed she sucked on lemons twenty-four seven.  
  
"Hurry up!" The girl snapped. Clarissa looked at her for a moment, and slowed down. She hated orders, but was forced to obey them at Manticore. Here, on a mission, she was free to defy everything. A minute later, Clarissa reached the front door. The girl slammed it shut again, before whirling around to confront Clarissa. "Now, if you think that was funny, you've got another thing coming, girl! Because I'm the head maid in the place, and I can fire you when I want. One wrong turn, and," The girl clapped her hands, "Your out.'  
  
Clarissa didn't want to take any of this crap. Her mission, however was for her to stay on everybody's good side. So she merely smiled. "yes ma'am, and what shall you be addressed as?"  
  
"Ma'am will do just fine. Now follow me to your room,"  
  
Clarissa tried not to snigger as she followed her up the marble staircase, down the hall, and into a small but beautifully furnished room. There was a small water bed, a wardrobe, lamp, and nightstand. It was a change from the dormitories, which Clarissa had grown up in. She loved it.  
  
"Your work starts immediately. Leave your things on the bed, you can unpack in your own time. Start with my laundry."  
  
Clarissa nodded. She was officially confident she had sunk to an all time low. Reduced to wrinkling her nose at old laundry! Ugh.  
  
The day went by slowly, Clarissa stopping at every bathroom, and collecting the laundry from every hamper. As she collected one particularly smelly pile of clothes, she considered her unit back at Manticore. Was Billy doing okay without her? Was Noah still having her seizures? All her questions remained unanswered. She ignored the person coming up behind her, until that person tapped her lightly on the shoulder. She grabbed him and flipped him onto his back.  
  
"Ah!" The man cried, as he landed hard on the marble floor. Clarissa stepped backwards.  
  
"Um.sorry." She mumbled. "Caught me by surprise. Are.are you okay?"  
  
The man nodded. He looked a few years older than her, twenty, maybe twenty- one. He had dark blonde hair gelled up in small, short spikes, and green eyes that were forever laughing. He got up slowly to his feet, wincing as his back protested.  
  
"Hey.where'd you learn to fight like that?" He groaned.  
  
Clarissa's brain racked up an answer. "My mom, got mugged out on the street once. Decided that I would learn how to protect myself." She lied, "She taught me everything I know today."  
  
The man nodded. "Oh, I'm Blake, by the way. Blake Coronale? Eric is my father."  
  
Clarissa smiled. Eric.the guy she was supposed to be supervising or whatever. She never knew that he had a son.  
  
"I wish I could fight," Blake added, "My dad doesn't agree with the martial arts. Are you that new laundress?"  
  
"Yeah. First day. Just got here. And I absolutely love your head maid."  
  
Blake laughed. "Yeah, Fiona is a little hard to get along with. Just, smile and stand up to her every once and a while. Believe or not, she loves that kind of thing."  
  
Clarissa stared down at the pile of dirty laundry. "Well, I gotta go. See you later."  
  
Blake nodded. Clarissa turned and left to do the rest of her rounds. Who knew there was that much clothing in the world?  
  
**  
  
If it had not been for her hopped up DNA giving her plenty of endurance, Clarissa would have been exhausted to breaking point. She still, however had energy to unpack and rearrange the furniture to her taste.  
  
A knock on the door diverted her attention. "Come in," she called out.  
  
The door swung open and Blake stepped inside. He looked great in the tight T-shirt and baggy jeans he was wearing. He smiled at Clarissa as she straightened up to meet his height.  
  
"Hey," she said, "what's up?"  
  
Blake walked to her window and stared out of it for a few seconds. "I've been thinking. Do you think you could teach me what you know of those moves?"  
  
Clarissa decided to play dumb. "What moves?"  
  
Blake said nothing, only pointed to a bruise on his left shoulder, which indicated how hard he had landed as she had flipped him over.  
  
"Your dad.he doesn't want you to." "That's why you have to teach me! He won't know, I promise."  
  
Clarissa looked unconvinced. She didn't really want to teach him or anything, and especially didn't want to get to close to anybody. Blake tried again.  
  
"What if.what if.um.I got mugged on the street or attacked! Or maybe someone wanted to assassinate me. I would have to protect myself."  
  
The guy was obviously desperate. Still, Clarissa couldn't possibly say yes. It was just plain wrong, and the mission would have to end sooner or later. The she would leave, and be heartbroken.  
  
"Fine, fine." She replied.  
  
Blake's face lost the desperate and pleading puppy dog look and took on a full smile. "Meet me in the garden tomorrow night at nine."  
  
**  
  
A dark figure crept through the bushes, stepping lightly and quietly as not to be noticed. It leaped over the water fountain and landed softly over the other side. Movement. A man stepped out from the path to walk quietly over to the waterfall. The figure smiled, and stepped out from the shadows.  
  
"Hey," Blake said, catching sight of Clarissa, as she stepped out from behind a rose bush. "I didn't see you there."  
  
She grinned. "So where are these lessons taking place?"  
  
Blake grabbed her arm and led her to a small courtyard, surrounded by tall apple trees and more flowers.  
  
"This is my little private place. Me and my dad have an understanding. He can't come here, and has none of his cameras set up. No interruptions."  
  
Clarissa nodded, and began to teach. She started off with how to block punches, kicks, and other assault weapons. Then she moved on to attacking...  
  
The minutes turned to hours as they continued their training.  
  
**  
  
Clarissa threw him over her shoulder once again. He went down with an 'oof' but there was no bruising. Which wasn't bad for a just a week and a half of training. They had agreed to meet for the lessons once every two days. It was strange, because now Clarissa longed to see his face, his smile, and used any excuse to bump into him while working. She skipped to the lessons, and hated when they finished. She also knew her final diagnosis for all this. She was in love.  
  
"That's it for today," Clarissa grumbled, unhappy about leaving, but it had to be done or else his dad would start worrying.  
  
"Kay." Blake replied in the same tone of voice. They walked out of the place together, enjoying each others company. As they neared the topiary water fountain, Blake stepped in front of her.  
  
"Thanks, for all this. It means a lot to me." He smiled, and then.ever so slowly, his hand reached out to brush a strand of light brown hair from Clarissa's face. Her heart stopped for a moment, then started up again, loud and fast. Blake lowered his voice to a whisper. "Just like you," He leaned over, and their lips touched.  
  
** A knock on the door woke Clarissa from her light dreaming. She knew who it was. Blake had been sneaking over into her room almost every night, and spent the night in each others arms. She opened the door for him, and stepped back. Blake stepped into the room, closed the door, and wrapped his arms around her, and kissed her hello, A kiss which she returned fully.  
  
"My dads gone mad." Blake said after a moment of silence.  
  
Clarissa laughed. She figured he was kidding. "Why?"  
  
"He keeps going on about some odd clue he found, about a Manticore or something like that. Said they created superhumans."  
  
Clarissa looked up at him. "Really? How odd.and how did he obtain this peculiar piece of information?"  
  
"Dunno. He's really mad though. It seems as if we've been funding them. Huh."  
  
Clarissa forced a laugh. "Oh, yeah. He's gone mad all right."  
  
Blake chuckled, and then wrapped his arms around her yet again in a tight embrace. "At least I can talk to you." Clarissa's arm clutched him tightly. "I love you." She said.  
  
"I love you too."  
  
Clarissa's thoughts raced almost as fast as her heart that night. So his dad was up to something. Not now, not after... She checked her calendar which hung from the wall. Tomorrow was her first full day off, and also when Renfro had told her to report anything interesting. What could she say? Could she lie? Say it never happened? Or would they figure that out and kill the Coronale line?  
  
**  
  
"Report, 423" Renfro said.  
  
Clarissa's heart was torn two ways. Manticore.Blake.Manticore.Blake.Loyalty.Mission.Blake.  
  
Blake had won. She was never going to tell Renfro. EVER.  
  
"Eric has acquired some information about us. He told his son, who in turn told me. He has learnt the name of Manticore, its work, and his funding, but there seems to be no way he might have found out. He seems to me to have been alerted by someone inside of Manticore." Clarissa said. The shock of what she had done took a few seconds before it took over. What had she done? Why?  
  
"Very good, 423" Renfro said. "However, this does take some thinking.McDale, have you found a solution to those problems?"  
  
The younger man that had listened in as Clarissa confessed everything nodded. "We shall have to take them both out. The son too, being that he knows this stuff and is blurting it all to just a common housemaid.  
  
Common housemaid? Clarissa was much more than a common housemaid. She spent nights with Blake, talking to him, sharing all her made-up secrets with him, lying to him..and. .loving him.  
  
"They will both be terminated. Poison seems to be a good choice. She can slip in the food, Director Renfro? A private word please." Director Renfro and McDale moved away into a corner, but not far enough that Clarissa couldn't hear every word. "I believe that Manticore security is not as efficient as it once was," McDale began.  
  
"How so?" Renfro replied, slightly annoyed.  
  
"Just last week, we had to send another X5 on a mission to terminate yet another one of Manticore sub-contractors. The Berrisfords, if I remember correctly."  
  
"That mission went well?"  
  
"X5 494 is planting a bomb as we speak." McDale replied, sounding proud of himself.  
  
"This mission shall be no different," Renfro replied. McDale nodded and handed her a small vial of clear liquid. "The poison," he explained.  
  
Renfro nodded and walked back to Clarissa, and handed her the vial. "Put this in their dinner tomorrow night." She ordered.  
  
Clarissa felt a lump in her throat "yes ma'am" she barely managed to croak. With another deep nod, Clarissa excused herself to start her bus ride back to the Estate.  
  
**  
  
When Blake came in that night, Clarissa rushed over to him and kissed him long, deep and passionately. He would never know this was his last night with her. She planted himself on his lap and just sat in his arms, savoring his warmth, his scent, the feel of his arm..Stop that! Stop that! It will only make you feel worse. You are a soldier. You hear that? Clarissa? 423? You are a soldier. Love is not an emotion. It is a tool. 423. 423. Soldier. Clarissa knew it was no good. She could never let go of him. But she had to. This was his last night. They spent it in each others arms.  
  
**  
  
It was dinner. The kitchens were busy, so they didn't notice the laundry maid as she slipped into the kitchen. They didn't notice when a small glass vial emptied into two plates either..  
  
**  
  
"Thank you," Blake said as he received his plate. He took a big bite of the vegetables and meat. His father did the same. "Blake!" Clarissa rushed into the dining table. Blake stood up and walked over to her. She was frantic. "Blake! Did you eat anything?"  
  
Blake laughed. "Of-course. What's wrong? Clar - ?" Blake never got to finish his sentence, as everything stopped moving. Blake never felt anything. He just fell over. His father on the table did the same thing, but Clarissa only cared about him. "Blake! Blake? Stay with me! NO!"  
  
Blake smiled. "It..wasn't your..fault. I..Love..You."  
  
Clarissa nodded through her sobs. "I love you too," Clarissa bent over and they shared one last kiss. Blake's body went limp.  
  
Clarissa held his lifeless body as she sobbed. Her mission was complete.  
  
  
  
A/N; YAHOO!!!!! I finished my story. You like? You no like? You tell me! Thankyou! Do you think this story deserves a Genre other than General? Let me know! P.S = I have no idea how Max is going to get her friends out of TC. The sewers make them sick, there are guards. HELP! I can't post a chapter unless I write, and I can't write unless I have an idea. Thanx ppl. 


	5. Traitor

A/N: Lack of review = lack of story. Remember that.  
  
I've had a couple of reviews commenting on how, in Chap. 1, that Alec is not their commanding officer. I suppose he isn't, but I can't go back and change that, otherwise I'd have to change a lot of the story. So just bear with me on this one, k?  
  
M/A fic towards the end, but, like I said, not yet, and, oh, Clarissa tells Alec everything that happened in Clarissa's Story.  
  
**  
  
"..They had to stun gun me unconscious before they could drag me away. Sent me straight to psy-ops. It was still there when Manticore went down." Clarissa finished. Her tears now rolled down her face steadily.  
  
Alec stood next to her. He didn't really know what to say. Clarissa had been through so much. Just like him, with Rachel. He walked over to Clarissa, who was now shaking with sobs. He put an arm around her, much like he did with Max after she had told him about Ben. "I'm know how you feel," he said.  
  
Clarissa shrugged herself out of Alec's arms and looked at him coldly. She had lots of anger and sadness bottled up inside her. She couldn't help but take it out on someone. "Yeah right. How would you?"  
  
Alec replied by looking daggers at her. "Maybe, because I have been in a situation something like yours."  
  
"Really? Since when did you love? Traitor!" Clarissa asked, her voice dripping with hate.  
  
Alec stepped back in anger. The shock and hurt that that those words brought down on him settled, and Alec could no longer feel any sympathy for Clarissa. Without another word, he turned and left, leaving Clarissa crying on the rooftop. "I'm sorry. But I can't lose you too." She whispered after him. He didn't hear it.  
  
**  
  
A/N Really, really, really short. I know. I promised an update every 3 days, and I gotta go to bed. I'm also completely out of ideas for the next chapter. I need your help. How in the world in Max gonna get the ordinaries out of TC? The sewers make them sick. Impossible to just drive out.. I can't think of anything at all. I promise that as soon as I get an idea from you, I'll make it an extra long chapter. Thanx!  
  
You know that worker transgenic they made to 'dig trenches'? What's his name? 


	6. Bloodied and Broken

A/N: Thanks for the reviews.you people make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.  
  
**  
  
A dark figure sat quietly in the shadows of the party. Its watched as the transgenics partied the night away, each of them unafraid of showing their barcode. Barcode.. the figure thought in disgust. It looked upwards at the night sky - 11.55p.m  
  
5 minutes to activation.  
  
The crowd laughed as one particularly brave X6 jumps on a table to dance, and starts showing off his moves.  
  
3 minutes to activation.  
  
The figure's eyes traveled to its companion, perched on the roof, also watching the crowd.  
  
1 minute to activation.  
  
A black gloved hand traveled slowly to a grenade in the other hand. The pin was slowly removed..  
  
10 seconds to activation.  
  
The grenade was thrown into the crowd, some distance to where the Sketchy, Logan and OC were sitting. A second figure on a roof did the same.  
  
The grenades exploded.  
  
Activated.  
  
** 10 minutes earlier **  
  
"Dix, I need your help!" Max called into the darkness.  
  
Dix walked as over to her, happy he could help.  
  
"Yup?"  
  
"I need you to look for something for me. Is there any sewer plans around here?" She asked.  
  
Dix nodded and he turned to a small stack of papers on the desk next to him. He rummaged through them, until he found two that were slightly larger than the rest. He gave them to Max, who took them and sat down. She spread the two sheets in front of her, looked for a minute, then shook her head.  
  
"Sewer levels three to five," Dix added.  
  
"I need something closer to the surface. Levels one or two."  
  
"Why? If your looking for a way out, level eight is the only way to go. Only ones that go outside city limits."  
  
"Level two is the most toxicity that non-transgenics can stand. After that, there's not even enough air"  
  
Dix nodded understandingly. "I may have one or two sewer lines that go a distance and are on level two, but you have gotta give me some time to find the plans."  
  
"We haven't got time. It's going to get too dangerous for them if they don't leave soon."  
  
Dix nodded again, and jumped down a couple of steps as he followed Max to the storeroom, where tons of paper and files were held. She opened the door and got right to work, sorting out files and tossing the useless ones to the floor, pausing to take a proper look if the file advertised anything interesting.  
  
"Max - why don't you go to the party and have a good time? I can finish up here."  
  
A new voice cut in. "Hey, Max" Alec said, inviting himself into the room.  
  
"Go away, Alec, I'm trying to sort through this stuff."  
  
"Hello to you too," Alec muttered. Max was always greeting him like this. It was nothing new. He might have wished she thought a little bit more of him though. The last words Clarissa had said to him played back in his mind. 'Traitor.' Was that why Max still didn't trust him all the time? Was it just because of Ben?  
  
BOOM! (A/N; Sound of grenades exploding. BOOM?! BOOM?! OH, well, you get the idea, right?)  
  
Sounds of glass shattering and people screaming snapped Alec out of thoughts. Without a second thought, he ran out after Max to see what had happened.  
  
He leaped out of the door and onto the street where the party was being held. Had been held. Bits of glass and concrete littered the street. Two large holes in two different buildings showed where the grenades had gone off. Transgenics lying on the ground, groaning in pain and feeling what was left of limbs and body parts, while some lay, motionless. Alec surveyed the damage in shock. He could barely move.  
  
Max, however, was running around, helping whoever needed it, ordering the transgenics that had been unhurt to help the ones who hadn't been so lucky. Alec watched in shock as she lifted an X8 onto her shoulders.  
  
Alec's eyes met a familiar pair of eyes. Clarissa. She was lying on the floor, groaning her agony as blood dripped from a wound in her stomach, face, left arm and left leg. His eyes widened, and he rushed over to her.  
  
"Clarissa! Are you okay?" Alec cried, picking her up and holding her close.  
  
Clarissa said nothing, only coughed up blood, which stained his white t- shirt. He stroked her hair lightly, and tensed as he picked her up. She sank into his arms, as he ran to the hospital building, which was already overflowing with hurt transgenics. He pushed his way through the crowd, still holding an increasingly pale and bloodied Clarissa.  
  
"Help! You!" Alec shouted, addressing the medical transgenic nearest him. The transgenic took one look at Alec, one look at Clarissa, and hurried both of them upstairs and into an empty room.  
  
A single lonely table stood in the middle, and Alec lay Clarissa gently onto it. She gave a cough, and the blood that came out of her lungs and throat dripped off the table and started a puddle on the floor. The medical transgenic, who introduced himself quickly as 'Kep' checked her over, checking her pulse, monitoring her heart rate.and hooked her up to a bunch of helpful machines.  
  
"We're gonna need a blood donor. You're willing, right?" Kep asked.  
  
Alec nodded and rolled up his sleeve, happily accepting the needle that slid slowly under his skin and into his vein. He watched as Kep connected the tube with Alec's blood into Clarissa. The blood flowed steadily into her.  
  
Kep continued with his work, stitching up wound here and there, adding ointment where possible, at a speed that only a medically trained transgenic could manage. No matter what he did, though, it seemed that the blood that flowed from Clarissa's throat could not be stopped.  
  
The puddle grew quickly.  
  
Kep shook his head in frustration.....it didn't really look all too good for Clarissa.  
  
**  
  
Max stood around, looking in the crowds for Cindy, Sketchy and Logan. She hadn't seen them at all. In all the confusion, she figured she might have just missed them in the crowds, but now that they had thinned, she still couldn't see her three friends. She ran to the hospital building, trying to ignore the scary thoughts that ran through her mind. Could Logan be hurt? Or worse?  
  
"Help! Have you seen Logan?" She asked, finding the medical transgenic that had treated Logan though all his seizures just a few days ago.  
  
"No. Wait. Let me check." The medic picked up the nearest phone and spoke into the main intercom.  
  
"Could the doctors please do a check - anyone with the names Logan, Sketchy or Cindy, please acknowledge and report back to front desk." He waited a few minutes as the medics bustled around, but none of them had seen a Logan, Cindy or Sketchy.  
  
"Max! MAX!" A voice screeched from outside. Max watched as Zero ran into the building, frantic and panicking. She ran over to him.  
  
"Hey! Hey!" She said, grabbing him by the shoulders. He stopped for a second, calmed by the warm, comforting hand she laid on him. He thrust a small piece of paper in her face, which had survived the Blast.  
  
' Max,  
  
The ordinaries are perfectly safe with me. Got out of the transgenic filth, didn't they? Turn yourself in to me and they go free. If not, I will burn them alive, one by one.  
  
2986-59738  
  
'  
  
Max stared down at the letter for a minute, too shocked to speak. Then the shock melted into anger as all of the events sank in.  
  
Most of all...  
  
Her three best friends were gone.  
  
**  
  
Alec sat quietly, wishing that his blood would flow faster and make up for all the blood that still leaked steadily from between Clarissa's lips. The flow had slowed, but slow and steady was worse.  
  
He watched Clarissa's eyes, wide open, stared off into some other universe. He moved closer to brush a little hair off her face.  
  
"Clarissa," he whispered, "Fight this. Do it for me."  
  
Another stream of blood trickled from her lips across her face. Alec wiped it away gently with his finger, pausing as he looked at his finger, now bloodied. Clarissa's blood. He wiped it onto his now-red shirt. A tear rolled down Alec's face as he thought of his first thoughts when he noticed Clarissa. He looked at her now, and knew that he could never do that to her, not after she'd opened up to him, and told him the story of her loss, which Alec could never bring to tell anyone else. He gave a smile and lay his forehead gently on Clarissa's.  
  
**  
  
Clarissa lay on the table, a prisoner of her own mind. She had tried repeatedly to call out in pain.a groan. . . anything, but it was useless. Her lips wouldn't move, but her tongue could taste the salty metallic taste of blood. She tried to open her eyes, but they wouldn't even flicker.  
  
"Clarissa," A voice whispered. A faraway voice, which echoed. Who was calling her? Her tried to think who that voice belonged, to.it was someone familiar.someone she'd head whisper to her before... but she couldn't think of anyone. The voice remained a mystery, but here it was again.  
  
"Fight this." Fight what? How could she fight? She couldn't even move. She tried once again to twitch her toes, or open her eyes to see her cared about her enough to stay with her. Nothing.  
  
"Do it for me," That voice again. Do what? For who? Who was talking to her? She felt a slight pressure on her forehead, and a small drop of warm water fall onto her face. A tear, she told herself. With every ounce of strength, she managed to move her hand slightly. Success!  
  
**  
  
Alec gasped in shock as he saw Clarissa's hand move, ever so slightly. He moved around to her hand and held it within his own two. He gave it a squeeze. A smile crossed his face as the pressure was returned, lightly, almost nonexistent, but it was there.  
  
"Kep!" Alec called,  
  
Kep came running. By the sound of Alec's voice, He's assumed that there was something going terribly wrong. Relief washed over him as he saw Alec smiling.  
  
"Look," Alec whispered. He put Kep's hand into Clarissa's. Kep, on instinct, gave it a squeeze. Again, a small squeeze was returned.  
  
Kep smiled happily. This was the comeback he had been hoping for. He turned to Alec.  
  
"We, my friend, have set Clarissa on the road to recovery. If she stays at the same pace of healing, she should wake up in a few hours." He said.  
  
Alec grinned his relief, and turned back to Clarissa. He would make sure that he was there when she woke up.  
  
**  
  
Max picked up her phone and dialed the number that the sheet of paper had given her.  
  
{White here. } The other line answered.  
  
"White, you bastard -" Max started.  
  
{No need for the language, 452. They are perfectly safe. We just need you to meet us at the entrance of your stinking city, tomorrow noon and turn yourself in. Then they will be free. Come alone. You bring anybody, and we will let you witness their deaths by fire. Understood?}  
  
"Fine," Max said, and slammed the phone down. She went to go find Alec. She needed him for the backup, just in case, because she was not turning herself in without a fight. . . . . . .  
  
  
  
A/N: A long, story, as promised. Post part two of this chapter tomorrow. Forget the 3 days rule. Review!  
  
LatinChik: Thanx for the idea. Never thought of that.I will definitely use your idea...but I'm not telling when. 


	7. Bloodied and Broken Pt2

A/N: I know I said tomorrow, and I'm sorry. It was HK international day, so the family insisted I went with them to the local theme park.  
  
Second part of Bloodied and Broken: Enjoy!  
  
**  
  
Max had looked around for Alec for roughly ten minutes before she decided against his involvement in the whole plan. She figured that he probably wouldn't allow her to turn herself in. That, she told herself, was not happening. She turned around to go back to her apartment, to enjoy the last few hours of freedom alone.  
  
She'd walked down two streets and was nearing her home when Zero appeared in front of her.  
  
"You're going, aren't you?" He asked, concerned.  
  
"Yes, I have to get my friends back. They are as much family to me as anyone else here."  
  
Zero stepped forward to give her a hug. She grudgingly accepted, and leant forward into his embrace. She wasn't happy, though, when Zero hands began to slip under shirt and she felt his hands on her bare skin.  
  
"HEY!" She shouted, pushing him away. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"  
  
"Oh...uh...nothing." Zero stammered, backing away slowly. He'd done what he'd needed to do. He disappeared behind a building, leaving Max confused and annoyed.  
  
** 2 hours until meeting **  
  
Alec sat next to Clarissa, studying her in the same way he had been for the past three hours, looking at her, looking through her, not really noticing the time, or anything else for that matter. He blinked and woke up again as Kep shook him lightly on the shoulder.  
  
"Alec," Kep said. "Go home, and get some rest."  
  
"No," came the stubborn reply. "I'm staying right here."  
  
Kep shrugged. He had just finished with his shift, he was tired and hungry, and in no mood to argue. He left the room quietly, leaving Alec alone once more. With no more distractions, Alec turned back to study Clarissa. He lightly fingered through the dark blonde hair that framed her face. Why did he care so much about her? If it was any other girl, he probably would have cared enough to put her in a hospital bed, and visit sometime later to make sure she was alright, but never like this. He would never stay by her side for 4 hours as he watched her struggle back to life.  
  
He examined her face, his eyes going over every aspect of her features, from her full pink lips, to perfectly shaped eyebrows. His attention turned back to her lips...which looked so soft...so inviting... "Alec, control yourself," He told himself sharply, giving himself a sharp slap on the face.  
  
"Now, now. Don't abuse yourself like that?" A voice asked softly.  
  
Alec jumped, startled. His attention turned back to the figure lying on the desk with a pillow. Clarissa's deep sea-blue eyes stared back up at him. He smiled, ecstatic.  
  
"You're awake!" He cried, jumping up.  
  
"Yeah, yeah. I noticed that already." She stopped to think for a minute, confused. "Was it you?"  
  
"What?"  
  
"That was calling to me. Telling me not to give up or whatever?"  
  
"Um." Alec paused, he didn't really know what to do. Should he admit that he did? Would that be like admitting that he liked her a little more than he really should? "Yea." He nodded. "I did,"  
  
Clarissa smiled at him. Not a normal half grin, but a full, grateful smile. "Thanks. It means a lot to me. I really does."  
  
"Are you okay?"  
  
Clarissa turned to stare at her bandaged arm, leg and stomach. She gingerly touched the side of her face that had been burned, and winced as her fingertips touched raw, blistering skin. "Yeah. I'm fine." She said, removing her hand. She noticed the blood on his shirt.  
  
"Oh. You're hurt?" She asked, knowing the answer before he'd even said it. Her blood. She looked away, embarrassed. "Mine.?"  
  
Alec nodded. "Its for a good cause," He said, trying to make her feel better. It didn't work. If anything, it only made it worse.  
  
"Listen.." Clarissa started. "I'm sorry. About last night, on the roof. I really didn't mean it. I was just upset."  
  
Alec nodded, swallowing a few late tears. He checked his watch. 11:30 a.m  
  
"Thanks, you know...for everything. You know, most people wouldn't even look at me again after I yelled at them. Thanks." Clarissa finished.  
  
"No problem. Happy to help a friend."  
  
**  
  
Max took a deep breath as she sat atop one of the many buildings in Terminal City, waiting for any signs of White and his crew. She looked around, taking in the sights of TC, quiet and peaceful except for the street where the Blast had occurred. Outside of the perimeter, there was no such thing as peace and quiet. The people that had been shouting anti- transgenic slogans 3 days before were still shouting it, and the large wooden X's still burned very bright. "Morons," Max muttered to herself.  
  
4 different military trucks rounded the corner, parting the angry crowds. White was here. She listened as the transgenics on sentry duty sounded up the alarm, putting every transgenic, hurt or not, on full alert and ready to fight. She jumped down from the rooftop and stood directly in front of the main gates. It was time. She signaled to Mole to open the front gates. Mole, being Mole, didn't hesitate. Pulled them open quickly. Max began to take her first steps out..  
  
"MAX!" Alec screeched, pushing to the front of the crowd.  
  
"Alec, not now!"  
  
"NO. Max, you can't. We all need you here."  
  
"Forget it. I'm going. Take care of Cindy. Get her safe to Canada." She smiled, and a single tear ran down her face, showing Alec just how scared she was. "Max," Alec tried again. Max cut him off.  
  
"Goodbye, Alec." She smiled again, giving him a hug. At first, he was too surprised to move, but soon found himself clutching her desperately. She let go of him, and he slowly let go of her. She turned away, and walked out of Terminal City.  
  
"Good afternoon, 452." White said. "If you'll come with me."  
  
"No." Max replied, stopping dead in her tracks. "Let them free first. I'd keep your part of the deal, by the way, if you want to find your son again someday."  
  
White's face looked like a storm cloud. He had, no doubt, been thinking of double-crossing Max. The fact that she alone knew the whereabouts of his son made him reconsider.  
  
Cindy, Sketchy and Logan stepped quietly out of a military truck. They all had bruises and bumps that showed that White hadn't been at all kind. They ran into TC. The gates creaked down slowly, and tears ran down Max's face as she watched her home disappear.  
  
Two armed military guard grabbed hold of both her arms, while a third pointed a gun at the back of her neck. The three of them together managed to get Max into a truck. White got into the first military truck and led the way. The rest of them followed.  
  
**  
  
A/N : I know this is short on its own, but put the two of them together. I know I said tomorrow, and I know I even broke my own 3 days rule, and I'm sorry. I'll write as soon as I can. Review! Review! Thanks y'all! 


	8. Escape

A/N: As soon as I can, right? =)  
  
  
  
** 2 hours after Max left **  
  
"Alec?" Clarissa asked gently. Alec was sitting next to her on her sofa, in her apartment. The medics had given her permission to go home.  
  
He looked up, slowly, his face showed disbelief, anguish, and anger. Anger at White, for taking them away. Anger at Max, for allowing herself to be taken away, and anger at himself, for letting her go.  
  
Clarissa sighed and pulled Alec in a tight embrace. He accepted, but he was careful not to touch the burn on her face. They let go of each other, slowly.  
  
"ALEC!" A voice called from outside the hall, followed by loud, insistent fists pounding on the door. A familiar voice.  
  
Alec looked at Clarissa for a second, then got up to open the door. He swung it open. Zero stood in the hall, with a urgent but happy look on his face. How anybody might feel happy at a time like that was beyond Alec.  
  
"Lets go." Zero said, motioning towards the stairs. Alec didn't move.  
  
"Why?" He asked.  
  
"I'm can't.not here." Zero hissed in reply, now motion towards Clarissa, who was still seated on the couch.  
  
Alec, grabbed him by the shirt and pulled him into the apartment, slamming the door shut behind him. "Whatever you have to say, you can say just fine here." He said, letting Zero go.  
  
Zero rolled his eyes and reached into his back pocket, drawing out a small pocket PC. It looked like a radar, with one small dot moving slowly across a part of the screen labeled 'sector 9'.  
  
Understanding crossed Alec's face as he put 2 and 2 together. He smiled. "You put a tracking device on Max!" He cried happily. Clarissa stood up and moved beside him.  
  
"I'm going with you." She said simply.  
  
Alec turned to look at her. His face now showed concern. "You're not ready. I have to go round up some volunteers. Zero? Come on." Alec began to walk out of the apartment, but Clarissa stepped in front of him.  
  
"I'm coming, Alec." She said, in the voice that dared him to question her otherwise.  
  
He dared. "You can't. You're still not 100%. If something goes wrong," He lowered his voice. "I can't lose you."  
  
He stared back up at him, determined to prove her worth. "You won't. Now, sign me up."  
  
"Okay, Fine! You sign up, You get killed or captured. You want that?"  
  
Clarissa looked daggers at him. "Don't tell me what to do, Alec. I took enough crap from Manticore. I'm NOT taking any from you,"  
  
"Clarissa -" Alec tried again.  
  
"Don't. Don't try to tell me what I can and cannot do. I'm going."  
  
Alec said nothing. He turned and left, slamming the door behind him.  
  
Clarissa went back to the couch to sit down. She looked down at her bandages. Alec was right. She was in no state to go. Not YET, anyway.  
  
**  
  
"TELL ME!" White roared, turning back to shout in Max's face. Flecks of spit sprayed her face, and she flinched, almost toppling the chair she was tied to over.  
  
"Brush your teeth." She replied, coughing.  
  
White grinned evilly. He went to the desk, and picked up a long, steel rod, much like the one that Max had fingered while threatening to see how much White's pain 'blocks' could take. Max had no such skill.  
  
"Come, on, 452." He said, making his voice sound sickeningly sweet. "Don't you wanna play?" He held the rod over a small fire. Max watched as the rod began to turn red with the heat. Her eyes widened as it turned white-hot. White felt nothing as he held the rod, and his hands showed no burns. He walked over to Max, tied up and dirty. "I'll ask you again. Where is my son?!"  
  
Max shrugged and assumed an innocent, wide-eyed look. "How should I know?"  
  
White gave a regretful sigh and put the iron rod onto Max's lap. It burned right through the cloth. Max cried out in pain as the rod was introduced to her bare skin. White picked it up again, exposing a line of ugly red welts and blisters where the rod used to be.  
  
"Well.?" He asked calmly, holding the rod over the fire once again.  
  
"BITE ME!" Came the angry reply.  
  
White nodded to one of the military men on guard. The man untied Max's arm. She tried to make take advantage of the extra use of limb, and threw a punch at the guard, but White put the rod onto her bare arm. Max screamed and tried to get her arm free, but the man was sitting on her hand. The flesh began to make a horrible sizzling sound.  
  
"You're gonna have to tell me sometime, 452. I'm sure that there is a limit to the amount of pain YOU can take.." The rod was applied to Max's face. Her cry echoed through the old warehouse...  
  
**  
  
Alec arrived at HQ at 3 o'clock in the morning, dressed in his old burglar- style black. He stared at the pocket PC which he had taken from Zero. The small dot now was in the area labeled 'sector 11', which was, apparently, where Max was being held. He wouldn't admit this to anyone, he only just managed to admit it to himself, but he really did miss her. Her and Clarissa, that is. He'd tried to talk to her, tried to make things right and apologize, but instead, it came out as a rude comment. That, he was sure, had ultimately ruined their already unsteady friendship. He still cared for her, though.  
  
"Hey!" Clarissa called. Alec jumped lightly, and identified the voice. His heart sank.  
  
"Hi, Clarissa," he replied quietly.  
  
She forced a smile, and tried her best to lighten the atmosphere. "I'm fine, you know."  
  
Alec had his back to her. "Yeah. Say that after the mission, okay?"  
  
"Look at me, Alec."  
  
Alec turned around slowly, to face Clarissa, already wincing at the horrible welts the burn had - Burn? The burn had disappeared. He stared at the flawless skin. Her face, which had once been burned raw, with horrible blisters within blisters, was now.perfect. Alec stood up, and reached out to touch her face in amazement.  
  
She moved away, happily greeting the Zero, Ralph, Bullet and Fixit as they entered together, followed by a not-so-happy Buglar, who was complaining about how he never got to go on any 'fun' missions.  
  
"Please?" He asked, trying to sound all good and innocent.  
  
"NO, Buglar," Came Fixit's annoyed reply.  
  
"How come you never let me come," He whined  
  
"Because your too young." Ralph said. She stopped and knelt down to Buglar's height. "We love you too much. If something goes wrong, we can at least be reassured that you're safe."  
  
He smiled, feeling a whole lot better. "Okay," he sighed, and turned and walked out of headquarters. Clarissa watched him leave, concerned.  
  
"You sure he knows where to go?" She asked.  
  
"Oh, yeah. Don't worry about it. He always shows up again at some point." Bullet replied, shrugging.  
  
Clarissa nodded, still unsure.  
  
Alec clapped his hands, the loud 'crack' echoing off the walls, making a horribly loud noise in contrast to the early morning peace. The plan was simple. They go in, knock anyone who would be guarding her out, get Max, and carry her back to TC. Pure force and violence, with no strategy whatsoever. But, weren't the simplest plans best?  
  
**  
  
The pocket PC didn't lie. This was indeed the place where Max was. They crept forward, being careful not to step on anything that would make the slightest sound.  
  
As the group neared the entrance the warehouse, they saw a few military men guarding the entrances, but nothing they couldn't handle. Four different men went down with a 'thump'. Nobody knew of the transgenics that had just entered the building..  
  
Clarissa crept into the shadows, and spotted Max hanging by her wrists against the wall, her head hanging loosely. She motioned to Alec where she was. His eyes widened, and he signaled the rest of the team to cover him as he went to untie her. Zero nodded, and did as he was told.  
  
Alec fumbled with the knot, and they broke with a 'snap' and Max fell, landing in a heap on the floor. Her eyes did not open, and she did not wake up. He picked her up and tried began to carry her away.  
  
"Hey, what happened!" A voice cried from somewhere outside. They had been discovered. Clarissa's eyes darted around the room, looking for an escape. A small emergency fire door caught her eye.  
  
"Let's go!" she hissed, and pointed to the door. Together, the group ran to the door, knocking out the guard that had just entered the room. They ran out into the darkness, ducking bullets. And ran.and ran..  
  
Alec groaned as he made a horrible discovery..Max didn't seem to be breathing... He didn't stop..continues running towards TC.  
  
A/N : Two chapters in one day, consider this my 'Sorry'. Hoped you liked it. I have only just realized I have almost completely forgotten about Sandeman and that Rune writing. It will play a major part in my next chapter. I'm also back to my 3 days rule. Review! 


	9. Just a little AN

Okay. No chapter here. I just wanted to say that I won't post anything for another week, because of school camp and all that. I don't have enough time to write, but I'm not sure I want to continue this story. But no chapter for another week, but when I get back I'm hoping for some reviews that will give me the confidence to continue this story. I'm working on another one..Death's Star. Read that and tell me what you think.  
  
Post as soon as I can.  
  
Dragonfaerie 


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